Socket holders for electrical components



Oct. 13, 1959 S. T. DEAKIN SOCKET HOLDERS FOR ELECTRICAL COMPONENTSFiled July 11, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 In B.

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ENVENTOR Oct. 13, 1959 s. 'r. DEAKIN SOCKET HOLDERS FOR ELECTRICALCOMPONENTS Filed July 11, 1956, V s Sheets-Sheet 2 l 7 FIG.6. 7

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INVENTOR M ATTORNEYS Oct. 13, 1959, s. T. DEAKIN I 2,908,885

SOCKET HOLDERS FOR ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS Filed July 11, 1956 sSheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOP ATTORNEYS Un t d St tes P t 0,

SOCKET HOLDERS FOR ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS Stanley Thomas Deakin, EwellWest, England, assignor,

by mesne assignments, to Siemens Edison Swan Limited, Westminster,London, England, a British coin- This invention relates to socketholders for plug-in type electrical components and accessories of thekind in which the socket contacts are recessed below the surface of aninsulating body or surround.

The inventionhas important applications in holders for electrondischarge tubes such as thermionic valves, crystals and sockets forconnector plugs.

Thermionic valve holders normally comprise an insulating body havingapertures housing spring contacts which are recessed below the surfaceof theinsulating body and are engaged by pins or lead-in-wires on thevalve. In such devices it isv usually necessary to construct theinsulating body of two or more parts which are clamped together afterinsertion of the contacts so as to retain the contacts in position.Alternatively the socket contacts may be retained in position by screwsor rivets. Joints between insulating parts are most undesirable,especially under tropical conditions, as they are liable to retainmoisture and cause tracking, whilst fixing screws increase the cost.

The main object of the invention is to provide an inn proved holderassembly which is simple and cheap to construct and in which theinsulating body is in one piece.

The present invention comprises a socket assembly for a plug-in typedevice including a one piece insulating body having one or moreapertures containing resilient contact members for engaging lead-inwires or pins of components or accessories and the contact members eachcomprising side ears spring pressed outwardly and so arranged as toretain the contact against withdrawal after insertion in an aperture byengaging a lug or lugs or other formations formed on the insulating bodyduring moulding.

Conveniently the apertures have a rectangular cross section and thecontacts are formed from T-shaped blanks of sheet metal by bending thetwo side arms and the upright arm all at right angles to the blank sothat the two side arms form the retaining ears and the apertures of theinsulating block are formed with lugs extending from opposite sides soas to engage the retaining ears and thereby retain the contacts.

In order that the invention may be more clearly unperstood referencewill now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a thermionic valve holder moulding embodyingthe invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an underneath plan view of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 shows a sheet metal blank from which the contacts are formed forinsertion in the holder of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line VV of Fig. 1, to an enlargedscale showing a contact inserted in an aperture.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view offla contact looking in the same directionas in Fig. 5.

2,908,885. Patented Oct. 13, 1959 Fig. 7 is a side view of a contactshown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a'plan view. V Fig. 9 an underneath planview.

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view of a socket for a connector plug, andc I c Fig. 11 is an underneath view of the socket shown in Fig. 10. I

Referring to Fig. 1 the holder comprises an insulating body 1 having aseries of axial apertures 2 and a central circular opening 3.

In the arrangement shown the apertures 2 are disrposed around a pitchcircle.

. Fig. 4 shows a blank from which the spring contacts, indicated by thereference numeral 4, are formed. This as shown comprises an upright arm5 which is apertured at the end to form a wiring lug 6 and side arms7.The arms 5 and 7 are bent along the dotted lines and the end piece 8 isapertured at 9 to allow the valve contact pins to enter Whilst onopposite sides lead-in ramps 10 are formed, it being appreciated thatthe solid lines extending from the apertures 9 and 11 indicate cuts inthe blank. Similarly, the side arms 7, are apertured at 11. The arms 7and 5 are bent substantially aboutthe dottedlines so that all these armsare extending gener} ally in the saine direction and substantially atright angles to the end section 8. The device has then the appearance asshown in Figs. 6-9. In addition the small arms 13 may be bent inwardlyto engage the valve contact pin.

Fig. 5 shows a contact inserted in a cavity. It will be observed thatthe cavity wall is formed with lugs 14 which are engaged by the sideears 7 so that (referring to Fig. 5) the contacts would be pushed intothe aperture 2 in an upward direction and then it will be held inposition by the side ears 7 pressing outwardly against the sides of theaperture 2 and at the same time the ends of the ears would engage thelugs 14 and thereby prevent withdrawal, whilst the end wall 15 preventsthe contacts being pushed right through the housing.

Whilst the end wall 15 forms a stop at the upper end of the cavity thewall 15 is formed with an aperture 16 through which a valve pin can passdownwardly to engage the contact. It will be appreciated that with thisconstruction the contact is recessed below the wall 15 and thisarrangement helps to prevent valve pins touching a contact if the valveis incorrectly positioned.

Referring back to Fig. 1 it will be observed that as shown there is anenlarged circular aperture 17. This is for the purpose'of accommodatingan enlarged valve contact pin which will not pass through any of theother apertures, i.e. apertures 16, and this prevents incorrectinsertion of the valve in the holder.

Figs. 10 and 11 show a 3 pin electric supply socket outlet, for example,for a domestic supply plug which comprises a body portion 1' and threeapertures 2' for housing the contacts 4. These, as shown, are providedwith connectors 16 having terminal screws 17 for clamping the supplywires.

The essential feature is that the apertures 2' are formed with an endwall 15' and side lugs 14 which retain the spring contacts by engagingside ears 7'.

The holder may be manufactured in various ways, for instance, bymoulding the apertures with collapsible cores.

What I claim is:

1. A socket assembly for a plug-in type electrical desaid cavities fromthe other end of said body, socket contacts pressed into said cavitiesfrom the said other end of said body, said socket contacts each beingformed from a T-shaped sheet metal plate blank having a main arm and apair of side arms apertured at the junction of said arms and all threeof said arms-being bent to extend generally parallel to each other andin the same direction so that said junction .forms a base having. alateral dimension that is at least as large as the diameter ofassociated ones of said bores, said main arm projecting out of thecavity and through said entrance to form a terminal and the side armsprojecting laterally so that'the ends of said side arms remote from saidjunction abut against the cavity walls, ears extending laterally fromthe side arms and adapted to engage the contact pins, and lugs integralwith the insulating body projecting from the sides of the respectivecavities and engageable with the ends of said side arms to therebyobstruct withdrawal of ,the contacts through associated ones of saidentrances. a

2. A socket assembly for a plug-in type electrical device of the typehaving contact pins, comprising a onepiece insulating body, surfacesdefining a plurality of bores extending from one end of said body andterminating in enlarged cavities within said body, said bores beingadapted to receive the contact pins of said electrical device, meansdefining an entrance to each of said cavities from the other end of saidbody, socket contacts pressed into said cavities from the said otherside of 4 said body, said contacts each being formed from a T- shapedsheet metal plate blank having a main arm and a pair of side arms andapertured at the junction of the arms and all three arms being bent toextend generally parallel to each other and in the same direction sothat said junction forms a base having a lateral dimension that islarger than the diameter of associated ones of said bores, said main armprojecting downwardly out of the respective cavity to form a terminaland the side arms projecting laterally so that the ends of said sidearms remote from said junction abut against the cavity walls, said sidearms being formed of loops with side ears extending from the loops andadapted to engage the contact pins, and lugs integral with theinsulating body and projecting from the sides of each of said cavitiesand engageable with the ends of the side arms to thereby obstructwithdrawal of the contact through said entrance.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,768,669 Davis July 1, 1930 2,166,897 Wagstaif July 18, 1939 2,730,690Harasek' Jan. 10, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 690,743 Great Britain Apr. 29,1953

